A shamed police officer resigned from a force after illegally accessing confidential records for pals on the Police National Computer.

Steven Meredith, who worked in Stockton Police Station, in Teesside, passed on personal information to friends and former work colleagues.

On one occasion the 45-year-old sent a text to a friend giving details of a victim of an attack when they asked him for it.

In another incident Meredith, of Hilden Park, Ingleby Barwick, accessed the details of a motor vehicle for a former police officer who wanted to buy the personalised registration plate from the car.

Following a hearing in Newcastle distraught Meredith told the Sunday Sun the incident had ruined his life but says he was just trying to do his job.

Meredith, who previously had 13 unblemished years with the police, resigned from the force following the incident and he is now driving HGV trucks three times a week.

He said: “I’m just trying to make ends meet trying to pay rent. It’s difficult work I’m doing but you can’t pay a mortgage with it.

“You don’t know when you are going to be working.

“It’s absolutely destroyed me. I’m just picking the pieces up trying to get on with things now.”

Meredith says he’s lost everything.

He added: “I haven’t got the money I had or the life I had.

“It’s really affected every relationship.

“It has been absolutely horrific.”

Cleveland Police Force launched an investigation when they discovered the texts on Meredith’s phone, which had been seized in relation to another incident, for which no further action was taken.

At a hearing at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court Maimuma Bappa, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was arrested on June 5 last year. His mobile phone was taken by police. At this point officers discovered text messages from the mobile phone to individuals who asked for information.

“The information was held on confidential police computers and he passed on the information.”

Ms Bappa told the court that statements had been from all individuals involved who were shocked to find their personal details had been passed on. Meredith pleaded guilty to five counts of obtaining or disclosing personal information at the hearing. He has since resigned from the police force and is currently driving HGV trucks two to three times a week.

Lee Goodchild, mitigating, said: “This man has lost his personal life, job and respect. He’s lost everything. The offences took place two-and-a-half years ago and apart from this offence his record was impeccable.”

Magistrates sentenced Meredith to a six-month conditional discharge and a £15 victim surcharge. They didn’t award costs because of his limited means.

Meredith added: “I was nearly in tears in court. It brought everything back to me. I have had to live this every day for 17 months.”

A spokesman from Cleveland Police said: “Cleveland Police can confirm that a former Cleveland Police Officer has appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court charged with a number of Data Protection Act offences in relation to accessing and disclosing information from police computer systems.

“Cleveland Police take seriously the need to safeguard personal information, and have systems in place to audit officer’s use of computer systems to safeguard personal data.

“This access to data in this case has been limited to three persons who have been contacted by Cleveland Police and are aware of this investigation.”